WEEK 10 – CC1: MetaSynth in a Minute

In the first session I spent with MetaSynth (1) I hardly scratched the surface of its creative possiblities. 4 hours? Make that 4 weeks. Consequently, in my second session, I decided I would get another half a dozen samples, figure how to use the montage room, put a montage together, get it to a stereo file and get out of there before I woke up Monday morning in Studio 5!

In the first session, I wasted time trying to find the MetaSynth software (no dock icon I could find). I loaded the 'Behold' sample and began experimenting. I quickly realised I would need a manual to tame this beast, so I spent another 5 minutes finding the documentation and tutorial. I was going through meticulously but as I noticed time ticking away, I picked up the pace and worked my way through the rooms. A wild ride! Along the way I experimented with many of the processing possibilities of the program's various rooms, saving anything tasty.

Sequencer Room with cool Arabic minor scale preset - you can customise scales by dragging notes

As mentioned, I approached the second session with a clear purpose. I knew if I tackled this with imagination only, I would run out of time. This was unlike any audio software I'd ever encountered. Having regrouped since the last session and with the knowledge of the experience, I set out armed with around half a dozen samples. A theme developed quickly as one sample outlined the next. My random explorations of the previous day became more focused. Rather than go for possibles I was going for definites. I captured another 6 samples and headed to the Montage Room.

A crude image drawn by your's truly - interesting pan results

Once I began creating a montage, a stronger shape and feel developed and sample selection became more obvious. I ended up using about 6 - 7 of my original12 samples. Once I got the hang of the Montage Room, things came together speedily. Pro Tools it ain't, but then, nothing is Meta Synth! Knowing a few conventions and shortcut keys would have been helpful, but that comes later.

The final Montage - Becoming No. 1
Becoming1.mp3

Final word: the most innovative and ingenious, sideways thinking, out of the square audio processing tool I have ever had the pleasure of seeing/hearing/interacting with! This forced a new approach as I couldn't rely on previous experience and needed to rejig the process. Forget 4 weeks, try 4 months. Almost worth the price of a Mac. Almost.


References:

Haines, Christian. Creative Computing, Week 10 Tutorial - Processing. EMU, University of Adelaide, South Australia, May 10, 2007.

1/ MetaSynth 4. 2006. http://www.uisoftware.com/MetaSynth/index.html (accessed May 22, 2007).